Ms. Lilibeth Pono (standing right), Chargé d’affaires of the Philippine Embassy in Berlin and Chairperson of the Special Board of Canvassers (SBOC) receives from Deputy Consul General Rogelio Villanueva Jr. (standing left), the Election Returns prepared by the Special Board of Election Inspectors (SBEI) of the Philippine Consulate General in Frankfurt, in the presence of other SBOC members Delia Palomar and Maria Cecilia Estrella.

11 May –  After two days of non-stop counting from the close of the voting hours on May 9, the Philippine Consulate General in Frankfurt successfully completed its duties for 2022 National Elections as Deputy Consul General Rogelio Villanueva, Jr., in his capacity as SBEI Chairperson, formally turned over to Ms. Lilibeth Pono, Chargé d’affaires, Philippine Embassy in Berlin and Chairperson of the Special Board of Canvassers (SBOC), the accomplished Election Returns from the Special Board of Election Inspectors (SBEIs) of the Philippine Consulate General in Frankfurt.

The Election Returns from the Consulate in Frankfurt will be included in the overall canvassing of votes for the whole of Germany by the SBOC of the Philippine Embassy, for subsequent issuance of Certificates of Canvass and onward submission to the National Board of Canvassers (NBOC) and Commission on Elections (COMELEC) in the Philippines.

During the 30-day overseas voting period from 10 April to 09 May, the Consulate received 1,687 accomplished ballots out of the 2,256 registered voters within its jurisdiction, representing 75 percent of the total number of registered Filipinos. Consul General Marie Yvette Banzon Abalos attributed the huge turnout of votes to the public’s heightened interest during presidential elections, increased awareness brought by social media and aggressive promotion by the DFA and COMELEC. She thanked Filipinos in Germany for letting their voices be heard.

Consul General Abalos also heaped praises on the members of the Consulate’s electoral boards, registered watchers and accredited media for the smooth conduct of the elections in Germany. Throughout the voting and counting process, Consulate personnel have faithfully performed their patriotic duty and solemn obligation to ensure the integrity of the election process, recognizing that the ballot is the true expression of the will of Filipinos, wherever they are, as they exercise their right of suffrage and choose the country’s leaders. – END

https://frankfurtpcg.de/3651-2

15 November 2021 – The Philippine Consulate General in Frankfurt conducted its fifth consular outreach mission this year in Bonn, North Rhine-Westphalia on 13 November 2021. The 9-member consular team, led by Vice Consul Fatima Mueller, a total of 154 consular services including passport renewal, legalization of documents and civil registry. Moreover, 22 clients were provided one-on-one consultations by Mr. Rene Mangune from the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in Berlin who also participated in the event to provide information and extend the services of POLO and OWWA.

22 September 2021- Consul General Evelyn D. Austria-Garcia, who will end her tour of duty next month, hosted several receptions where she highlighted stronger Philippine presence in Southern Germany since she led the re-opening of the Philippine Consulate General in Frankfurt  in September 2018.

Among the several farewell receptions she hosted were for the Women and ASEAN Consuls General and Heads of Southeast Asian Consulates in Frankfurt last 15 and 21 September 2021, respectively.

Consul General -Garcia expressed appreciation to the women Consuls General of France, Ireland, Greece, Mexico, Morocco, Georgia, and Sri Lanka, who provided support to several of Consulate’s projects and activities, including cultural and gender and development events. She also took the opportunity to introduce them to officers of the International Women’s Club Frankfurt, who were also present during the event, for possible collaboration in the future.

During the reception with the ASEAN Consuls General, the Consul General urged them to establish prominent presence in Southern Germany through joint activities to promote the region’s economic and cultural interests. The Consuls General of Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam as well as the Honorary Consul of Cambodia expressed their support to the proposal and pledged to intensify cooperation in the coming year.

Farewell dinners were also organized in Stuttgart (13 August), Bonn (27 August), Munich (10 September), and Frankfurt (19 September) for selected members of the Filipino community. During these events, she  apprised those in attendance of the Consulate’s accomplishments since its re-opening in 2018 and thanked them for their vital collaboration. The events in Stuttgart, Bonn and Munich coincided with Post’s consular outreach missions in the area, while the event in Frankfurt was held following the regular Sunday Mass at the St. Ignatius Church and  in coordination with the Filipino Catholic Community of Bistum Limburg. END

13 September 2021- The Philippine Consulate General in Frankfurt held its third consular outreach mission this year in Munich, Bavaria on 11 September 2021. The 9-member consular team, led by Vice Consul Mueller, rendered 173 consular services including passport renewal, legalization of documents and civil registry. Moreover, 58 registered as overseas voters and 26 were provided one-on-one consultations by Assistant Labor Attaché Delia Palomar from the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in Berlin, who also participated in the event to provide information and extend the services of POLO and OWWA. The occasion provided an opportunity as well for Consul General Evelyn D. Austria-Garcia to bid farewell to the Filipino community in the State of Bavaria.

To coincide with the consular mission, the Consulate also conducted an art exhibition featuring the cubism-inspired artwork of Cebu-based artists and relatives Vidal Alcoseba and Darby Vincent Alcoseba, who won the 2013 Metrobank Foundation Art Grand Prize.  The mini-exhibition, which was held in coordination with FamilyOffice Inc., a Filipino-German art, philanthropic and capital venture firm, was warmly welcomed by the Filipino-German attendees.

There are approximately 5,100 Filipinos living in Bavaria, primarily composed of healthcare and I.T. professionals, students and spouses of German nationals. END

Bonn, 1 September 2021 –    The Philippine Consulate General in Frankfurt held its second consular outreach mission for the year with an outreach activity held at St. Winfried Church in Bonn last August 28. Consul Rogelio Villanueva, Jr. led the outreach team in providing passport, authentication, civil registry and other consular services. Mr. Rene Mangune, from the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) satellite office in Frankfurt participated in the event to provide information and extend the services of POLO and OWWA.

Applicants for civil registration, Overseas Voting and POLO-OWWA services wait for their turn to be served during the consular outreach mission in St. Winfried Church last August 28.

Consulate personnel provide instructions to the parents of a minor applicant during the taking of the biometrics for the passport application.

Consul General Evelyn D. Austria-Garcia provides instructions to Consul Rogelio Villanueva, Jr. to ensure the smooth flow of applicants during the outreach event in Bonn.

Members of the Filipino-German community in North Rhine-Westphalia and nearby areas trooped to St. Winfried Church to avail of consular services.  A total of 129 consular services were rendered during the event while 40 applicants registered for the Overseas Voting. Based on the latest regional statistical reports, there are approximately 4,750 Filipinos living in North Rhine-Westphalia, the second largest number of Filipino residents in Germany after Bavaria.

Consul General Evelyn Austria-Garcia joined the visit to Bonn to oversee the outreach operations and meet with leaders of the Filipino-German community to thank them for their support as she concludes her tour of duty in Germany next month.

The outreach event was made possible through the assistance of Father Rodel Liguid of the Filipino Chaplaincy in Bonn, Filcom leader Ays Espiritu and the volunteers from the Filipino-German community. The Consulate General will hold the next consular outreach activity in Munich, Bavaria to bring consular services closer to the Filipino-German community amidst the challenges posed by the pandemic. (END)

Consul General poses with Mr. Ays Espiritu and other volunteers who assisted the Consulate outreach team.